Youth mentoring group sponsors anger workshop
Event to help youth, parents deal with tension, emotions
Anger wears a variety of masks, says Robert Malone of Upper Marlboro. Some people display anger with shouting or fighting. Others internalize their emotions and become depressed.
"Sometimes we sweep things under the rug rather than deal with conflict," said Malone, a founding member of the nonprofit Mentoring to Manhood.
On Saturday, Malone's organization is sponsoring a free anger resolution workshop to help youth and parents correctly deal with the emotion. The workshop, scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Rennie Forum at Prince George's Community College, features Susan Taylor, the former editor of Essence magazine, who seeks to encourage more African Americans to serve as mentors.
Local author and filmmaker Janks Morton, who wrote "Why He Hates You" and created the documentary "Men II Boys," is scheduled to be on hand to discuss the conflicts and concerns of young men, particularly the disconnection between boys and their mothers.
Other panelists will share stories of how they overcame challenges in their own lives. Family members can ask questions of the experts and interact with each other to open up communication lines. Malone says parents should attend the event with their children boys and girls ages 11 and older to get the most benefit from the event.
Mentoring to Manhood provides mentoring on the first and third Saturdays of every month to about 30 young men. Tutoring takes place every Saturday. The organization's volunteer base has grown to more than 20 male mentors and female tutors. A patron has agreed to match any donations to the organization, so Malone continues to seek corporate and community support.
This is the third time the nonprofit has sponsored the anger resolution workshop, said Malone, and more than 100 people have already registered for Saturday's event. Anger remains an obvious problem in today's communities, he added.
"Folks hurt each other, kids fight and children don't perform well in school due to repressed anger," said Malone, who founded the organization in 2005 with a group of men.
The youth who participate in Mentoring to Manhood consistently express concern because their fathers aren't around or they don't get along with their parents. These and other issues can make young men angry, Malone said.
Boys who are angry might fight, put holes in walls or even get in physical scuffles with their parents, Malone said. Others withdraw, which can lead to depression.
Although parents might want to fight fire with fire by resorting to physical punishment, Malone said counseling could be a better solution. A representative from the Greenbelt CARES youth and family services program will attend the workshop, he said.
A young person also could appreciate talking to a mentor who serves as a neutral third party.
"Our young people are dealing with a lot of stuff," Malone said.
Mentoring to Manhood
How it makes a difference: This nonprofit will sponsor a free anger resolution workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Rennie Forum at Prince George's Community College. For information, call 301-213-9463 or send an e-mail to info@m2minc.org.